Life-saving suit



March 19, 1929.

W. 5'. AUD

LIFE SAVING SUIT Filed May 25, 192'.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,5. Aud.

' March 19, 1929. 5 w. 5. AUD 1,705,888

LIFE SAVING SUIT Filed May 25, ,192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lookingtowardoneside of the closure of the Fatentecl Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM SfAUD, or HERNDON, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-SIXTHTo JENNIE A. non, ONESIXTTI T0 DAVID M. AUD, ounsrxrrr 'ro MARYA;HUrcHIsoN, 01m

.SIXTH 'IO JESSE v. Ann AND ONE-SIXTH T0 JENN E L. CURTICE, ALL or SOUTHBOSTON, VIRGINIA;

.llpplicationgfiled May 25,

This invention relates to life saving suits, and particularly to meansfor closlng the en trance opening thereof, and one obyect of theinvention is to providea novel and Improved construction of sealing andfastenlng means whereby the meeting edges of the entrance opening of thegarment may be securely fastened and sealed against the admisslon ofwater. l

A further object of the inventlon is to provide a suit adapted for lifesaving, swimming and analogous purposes, whlch may be quick- 1y, easilyand conveniently apphed, and in which the meeting edges of the entranceopening may be closed and sealed without trouble or material exertion onthe part of the operator.

The invention consists of the featuresof construction, combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed,referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in W l1lClflZ- a Figure 1 is afront. vlew of the sult as applied for use and showing the entranceopening partly closed. I t p Figure 2 is a similar view showing theentrance opening fully closed and the collar fastened about the neck ofthe wearer.

Figure 3 is a perspective view on, an enlarged scale of the upperportion of the gar .ment.. a

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vlew 1n elevat on entrance opening. I

Figure 5 is a view in elevationlookingto- I ward the inner face of oneof the sealing strips. Y i o Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspect ve v ewshowing the inner faces of the seallng stri-ps and the members of one ofthe fasteners.

Figures 7 8 and 9 are sections taken, respectively, on the lines 77, 88and 9- -9 of Figure 4. o. l s

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a lifesavlng suit of integral or union type, in which the trousers portion 2and jacket portion 3 of the suit are permanently united. The legs of thetrousers portion 2 as shown, terminate. in foot portions, socks or boots4, while-the packet portion 3 is provided with sleeves 5 terminatlng ingloves or mittens 6. The jacket portion 3 LIFE-SAVING SUIT.

1927 Serial No. 194,210. I

is provided at the front with an entrance openlng 7, and is provided atits upper portion with a collar or neck band 8. This collar or neck bandmay include a section 9 of elastic material, and a strip or otherfastening member 10 may be employed, with suitable tongue 7 and buckleconnections, for adjustably securmg the collar or neck band about theneck of the wearer. All of such parts of the suit, wlth the exception ofthe strip lOand its connections, are made of some suitable strong 1 anddurable Waterproof material, suchas soft vulcanized rubber. or anysuitable combination of rubber and fabric, any seams used for unitingthe parts where necessary being of water-tight character.

Along the margins of the entrance opening 7 are provided sealing strips11 and 12, which extend the full length of the opening froma pointadjacent to the crotch portion to the upper edge of the collar 8 of thegarment. These sealing strips 11 and 12 are also made of rubber orrubber and fabric, of a proper degree-of flexibility and rigidity tomaintain I their shape. Preferably these sealing strips are securedbelow the collar portion to backlngfor reinforcing strips 13 and 14whereby the are strengthened and their deformation -un er pressures andstrains prevented. The

backingor reinforcing strips are also preferably; made of rubber orrubber and fabric of a sultable degree of rigidity and serve as supports for the fasteningv devicesemployedfon 5 holding the sealing stripsunited to close-the opening 4 and to maintainv the sealing-elementsthereon permanently in contact toprevent the entrance of water. V I

- As shown, the fastening devices consist of a series of keeper members15,- mounted on the strip 11 and backing 13, and a coacting series oflocking plates '16 mounted-on the sealing strip and backing 12 and 14:.The 'i keeper members 15 arein the form of eyelets linked in a verticaldirection parallel with through said keeper members and to engage thesame for a locking action. The slots or passages of the eyelets l5 areoffiaringfo'rmbetween the inner and outer surface of each eyelet', so asto accurately guide the coactlng locking plate into engagement"therewith.

Each locking plate 16 is provided at its lower edge with a series ofratchet-shaped locking teeth 17 for adjustable locking engagement withthe lower wall of the eyelet at its outer side beyond which the appliedlocking plate projects, when fully inserted, the shape of the teethbeing such as to adapt the plate to be freely applied while holding itfrom casual separation after the locking action. The locking plates areadapted to be inserted by bringing the sealing strips together with acertain degree of forcing pressure, in which operation the inclinedsurfaces of the teeth of each locking device slide over the lower wallof each keeper, the final teeth of the locking devices, when the latterare fully applied, dropping by gravity and presenting their straightshoulders for engagement with the outer surfacesof the keepers to holdthe sealing strips compressed together and securely locked. A releasingaction may be effected, however, by compressing the strips and raisingone relatively to the other, whereupon the fasteners may be disengagedand the sealing strips moved apart to spread the opening "4' andthusallow the suit to be removed. With the construction described, it ismerely nece saryto apply the suit to the person, in which operation theoperator steps through the entrance opening into the trousers portion ofthe garment and then inserts his arms into the sleeves and draws thejacket portion 3 about him, and then properly adjusts the collar 8,after which by merely pressing upon thesealing strips at the pointswhere the fasteners are located an instantanenous closing and lockingaction will be effected. The projecting ends of the strips 11 and 12lying above the upper ends of the backing strips 13 and 1 1- are ofgreater flexibility than those portions of the sealing strips reinforcedby the backing strips to adapt them to permit free movements of thecollar or neck band 8. These u oer aro ectin ortlons of the stri as l c11 and 12 are provided with a keeper and fasv.tener ofthe characterdescribed for locking and sealing connection.

Means are provided upon the mner faces -ofthe sealing strips 11 and 12for efiecting a tight sealing connection between them when fastenedtogether, in order to provide an absolutely water-tight joint. Thesealing means shown consists of a pair of spaced parallel sealing ribs18 and 19 upon the inner face of the strip 11 and a coacting pair ofribs 20 and 21 upon the inner face of the strip 12. The ribs 18 and 19are preferably made of semi-elastic rubber or rubber and fabric, whilethe ribs 20 and 21 which they respectively engage are of specialconstruction. These ribs 20 and 21 are of much greater breadth than theribs 18 and 19 and are provided. with central. longitudinal grooves orrecesses to receive the rounded outer edges of the ribs 18 and 19,whereby, in addition to rigidity than the cushioned rib- 21.

the locking connection the sealing strips, when coupled, will be heldfrom lateral shifting or displacement, while at the same time thereceived portions of the ribs 18 and 19 will form a water-proof jointconnection with the ribs 20 and 21. Preferably inner and outer sets ofribs are provided, as shown, in order to secure double assurance againstthe entrance of water, the inner ribs serving to effectually prevent anyentrance of water which might possibly creep past the outer ribs. Therib 21 of the strip l2ipreferably comprises a hollow cover or faceportion 22 which is or may be integral with the strip 12'and a backingportion 23 of a material having a high degree ofelasticity, such assponge rubber. The rib2O may be of the same construction as therib 21,but preferably is of solid character, so that it is of a greater degreeof stiffness or W hen the rib 19 is brought under pressureinto'e'ngagement with the lb 21 the elastic backing 23 will allow thecover portion 22 to recede under the pressure of the rib 19, thusdeepening the groove in said rib 21 and allowing the rib 19 to projectthereinto to a. greater extent, and with the result that the sealingsurfaces are not only increased but the bacle,

ing 23 is maintained under tension: to con stantly keep the sealingsurfaces of the'ribs in contact to maintain at all timesthe watertightintegrity of the joint. As stated, the rib 20 may be of'the sameconstruction as the rib 21 and have the same action, but is preferablymade, as shown, solid and stationary, so that, when the sealing stripsarebrought together, and the fasteners interlocked, the rib 21 beingmore resistant to the pressure of the rib 18, will allow the sealingstrips to rock to a certain degree on the ribs 18 and 20 as an axis soas to adapt the-ribs 1-9. and 21 to be brought still closer together andhave a tight sealing action.

Figure 1 shows the suit applied for use with the two lower fasteners ofthe four fasteners shown locked, while Figure: 2 shows the suit appliedwith all four fasteners-locked andthe collar or neck band drawn-snugly IFrom aninwill be firmly pressed together. to hermetically close theopening 7., The use of fasteningdevices of the type disclosed whicharealways in position for use, obviates the necessity of employingauxiliaryfastening means, or of adjusting fastening devices lengthwise of thestrips, and also obviates the necessity of employing fasteners ofa typeliable to a course, that fastening and sealing means of any equivalenttype, falling within the scope of the appended claims, may be employedwithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention. Having thus fully described myinvention, I claim:

1. A life saving suit having. an entrance opening, closure st ips alongthe marginal 1 edges of said opening, said strips having sealing faces,slotted keeper members upon one of said strips, and fastening membersupon the other strip adapted to be passed through said slotted keepermembers and each having a plurality of locking surfaces for adjustableenga ement with its keeper member.

2. A life saving suit having an entrance opening, closure strips alongthe marginal edges of said opening, said strips having sealing faces,slotted keeper members upon one of said strips, and locking members uponthe other strip comprising plates adapted to be passed through saidslotted keeper members, each locking plate having a ratchet toothedsurface for engagement with the coacting keeper member.

A life saving suit having an entrance opening, keeper strips along themarginal edges of said opening, said strips having sealing faces,slotted keeper members upon one of the strips, and locking members uponthe other strip. comprising plates adapted to be passed through theslots in the keeper members, each plate having a toothed locking surfacefor locking engagement with the coacting keeper member. 4. A life savingsuit having an entrance opening, closure strips along, the marginaledgesv of said opening, pairs of opposed outer and inner resilientsealing ribs upon said strips, and fastening means for connecting thestrips and holding said ribs pressed tightly into engagement with oneanother.

5. A life saving suit having an entrance opening, sealing strips alongthe marginal edges of the opening, inner and outer resilient sealingribs upon one of said strips, said ribs having rounded faces, outer andinner sealing ribs upon the other strip having grooves toreceive therounded faces of the first-named ribs, and fastening means for unitingthe strips and holding said ribs pressed together.

6. A life saving suithaving an entrance opening, sealing strips alongthe marginal edges of said opening, resilient sealing ribs upon theopposed faces of said strips, slotted keeper members upon one of thestrips, and toothed fastenin members upon the other strip for interlocds keeper members.

ing engagement with said 7.,A life saving suit having an entranceopening, closure strips along the marginal edges of the opening, spacedouter and inner elastic sealing ribs upon the opposed faces of saidstrips, slotted keeper members upon one of the stripsbetween the ribsthereof, and

fastening members upon theother strip be tween the ribs thereof forengagement with said slotted keeper mcmbers. I

8. A life saving suit having an entrance opening, sealing strips alongthe marginal edges of said opening, an elastic sealing rib upon one ofsaid strips, a grooved rib upon the'other strip adapted toreceive thefirstnamed rib and including a body of elastic material compressibleunder pressure when the ribs are brought together, and fastening meansupon the strips for holding them connected.

9. A life saving. suit having an entrance opening, sealing strips alongthe marginal edges of said'ope'ning, inner and outer ribs extendingalong one of said strips,'said ribs having contact faces, inner andouter ribs upon theother strip havmg grooved faces to receive thecontact faces of the first-named I ribs, one of said grooved ribs beingof greater elasticity than the other, and fastening means upon-thestrips for holdingtheinconnected and pressing the ribs firmly together.7

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

l/VILLIAM S. AUD.

